Target Audience Expectations:
Thriller is a popular genre for film within mainly young adults aged 18-25. This is because people this age are usually drawn in by the intense storylines and graphic action, which is commonly seen within the thriller genre. Unravelling the narrative as it plays out in the film, and working it out whilst watching the films attracts older audiences them to this specific genre.
However, the different sub genres of the thriller genre appeal to different ages and audiences. For example, action thrillers appeal to a more male dominated audience aged around 15-30 as they’re drawn in the by the action and fast paced edits/camera angles, whereas a more female dominated audience would be attracted to romantic thrillers such as Wicker Park. This is because they can relate the characters and storylines within the film. For example, psychological/crime thrillers such as Silence of the Lambs, Dream House, American Psycho and Fatal Attraction attract a mainly male dominated audience of the typical young adult age. This is because they’re drawn in by the conventional male leads, and can relate certain characters to people they know or even themselves, connecting and engaging the audience with the film/characters (both protagonists and antagonists). This male age range is also drawn into the action aspect of the crime thrillers. However, films that are supernatural thrillers (e.g. The Rite and The Others) appeal to more teenage – young adult female audiences, who are attracted by the ‘scare factor’ and possibly they will get scared or slightly affected by the film.
The generic target audience for thriller films expect a normal situation, which is effected by something negative and threatening. For example, in disaster thriller The Day After Tomorrow, everything is normal and life goes on as ordinary at the beginning, until the world begins to descend into disaster as freak storms occur. However, this is still something out of the ordinary disturbing the peace in a normal situation that seems realistic, which is something that the audience expect of thriller films. Audiences of disaster thrillers similar to The Day After Tomorrowalso expect fast pace editing techniques, as they make the film more action packed and engaging. It also makes the film exciting to watch, and makes sure the audience are connected with what’s going on, which is what the audience expect of this genre.
Target audiences also expect to be thrilled and left on the edge of their seats by thriller films. A thriller film is deemed successful if it manages to achieve this. An example of a thriller managing to have this effect on the audience would be in thriller film Dream House starring Daniel Craig. This manages to leave the audience on the edge of their seats with the scene in the house, where Daniel’s character is fighting the antagonist. The audience are left watching in suspense to see if this character they’ve watched develop manages to overcome the one who is against him.
The audience also expects to be engaged with the characters and the storyline. The characters as they’re usually developed and have their own stories which are revealed to the audience, and the storylines because they involve the audience as they have to figure out the storyline along with the characters and unravel it themselves, which makes them want to watch more. In our own film opening sequence, we will do this by having our main character walking down the street with someone following her the whole way in the background without her knowing. Then, at the end she’s about to enter her house, he captures her, then that will be the end of the opening sequence. This will appeal and engage the audience as they will not know what will happen to her, unless they watched the whole film.
One of the conventions which the audience expect to see when watching films from the thriller genre is for the protagonist to have an ‘Achilles’ heel’ which the antagonist uses against them and uses it to try and defeat them. An example of this would be action thriller Taken, in which the antagonist takes a CIA agent’s daughter and the main character has to fight to get her back. We will incorporate this into our own opening sequence by having the main character on her own throughout the whole sequence, making it seem as if she’s an outcast, making her an easy target for the stalker as there will be no one else to intervene him kidnapping her.
Original article
However, the different sub genres of the thriller genre appeal to different ages and audiences. For example, action thrillers appeal to a more male dominated audience aged around 15-30 as they’re drawn in the by the action and fast paced edits/camera angles, whereas a more female dominated audience would be attracted to romantic thrillers such as Wicker Park. This is because they can relate the characters and storylines within the film. For example, psychological/crime thrillers such as Silence of the Lambs, Dream House, American Psycho and Fatal Attraction attract a mainly male dominated audience of the typical young adult age. This is because they’re drawn in by the conventional male leads, and can relate certain characters to people they know or even themselves, connecting and engaging the audience with the film/characters (both protagonists and antagonists). This male age range is also drawn into the action aspect of the crime thrillers. However, films that are supernatural thrillers (e.g. The Rite and The Others) appeal to more teenage – young adult female audiences, who are attracted by the ‘scare factor’ and possibly they will get scared or slightly affected by the film.
The generic target audience for thriller films expect a normal situation, which is effected by something negative and threatening. For example, in disaster thriller The Day After Tomorrow, everything is normal and life goes on as ordinary at the beginning, until the world begins to descend into disaster as freak storms occur. However, this is still something out of the ordinary disturbing the peace in a normal situation that seems realistic, which is something that the audience expect of thriller films. Audiences of disaster thrillers similar to The Day After Tomorrowalso expect fast pace editing techniques, as they make the film more action packed and engaging. It also makes the film exciting to watch, and makes sure the audience are connected with what’s going on, which is what the audience expect of this genre.
Target audiences also expect to be thrilled and left on the edge of their seats by thriller films. A thriller film is deemed successful if it manages to achieve this. An example of a thriller managing to have this effect on the audience would be in thriller film Dream House starring Daniel Craig. This manages to leave the audience on the edge of their seats with the scene in the house, where Daniel’s character is fighting the antagonist. The audience are left watching in suspense to see if this character they’ve watched develop manages to overcome the one who is against him.
The audience also expects to be engaged with the characters and the storyline. The characters as they’re usually developed and have their own stories which are revealed to the audience, and the storylines because they involve the audience as they have to figure out the storyline along with the characters and unravel it themselves, which makes them want to watch more. In our own film opening sequence, we will do this by having our main character walking down the street with someone following her the whole way in the background without her knowing. Then, at the end she’s about to enter her house, he captures her, then that will be the end of the opening sequence. This will appeal and engage the audience as they will not know what will happen to her, unless they watched the whole film.
One of the conventions which the audience expect to see when watching films from the thriller genre is for the protagonist to have an ‘Achilles’ heel’ which the antagonist uses against them and uses it to try and defeat them. An example of this would be action thriller Taken, in which the antagonist takes a CIA agent’s daughter and the main character has to fight to get her back. We will incorporate this into our own opening sequence by having the main character on her own throughout the whole sequence, making it seem as if she’s an outcast, making her an easy target for the stalker as there will be no one else to intervene him kidnapping her.
Original article
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